Controlling Liquids When Vacuum Sealing

Controlling liquids when vacuum sealing

Most raw food and some cooked foods have some or a lot of liquids in them

Liquids, when vacuum sealing is your worst enemy and I hear it all the time “Yeah the blood goes up to the top, but that’s OK”. WELL IT’S NOT OK

Here’s Why

If liquid gets up into the area that is to be heat sealed it simply will not seal properly, it may give the appearance that it has, but there is a good chance it will let go and when you go to the freezer a few months later your meat has freezer burn. I hear it all the time. Also, if the liquid has gone to the top of the bag, it probably has been sucked into your vacuum sealer and over time you will damage your vacuum sealer.

This also is the case if you use any of the portable hand pump vacuum sealer machines with the valve in the bag. The liquid will stop the valve from sealing and the liquid will damage the hand-held pump over time.

Always

• Leave 75 mm – 100 mm above the food when making vacuum sealer bags from roll film.
• Use pre-made vacuum sealer bags that are 75 mm – 100 mm longer than the food.
• Very damp food, roll the top of the vacuum sealer bag down, so you do not get moisture on the top area of the vacuum sealer bag where it is to be sealed.

Solution no. 1

All raw meat has liquid on the outside and the inside of it, so simply pat the meat dry on a piece of paper towel before you put it into the vacuum sealer bag.

Solution no. 2

Roll a piece of paper towel up and put it inside the vacuum sealer bag from side to side and between the food and the seal area. This is great if you are doing fish. The liquid will get to the paper towel and get soaked up by it while you get all the air out and seal it up.

Solution no. 3

If you are vacuum sealing very liquid food such as soups and stews, make the bag and put the soup in then place the open vacuum sealer bag in the freezer for 1 hour so that it partially freezes the soup. Vacuum seal the bag and because it is partially frozen the liquid will not move, and you can still push it down flat to pack away. Or you can freeze your soup in a container, so it is a flat block and the put that into the bag and vacuum seal it.

Final Note

If any liquid does get close to the sealing area either shut the vacuum sealer down or switch it manually over to seal and then drop the bag down and do a second seal to make sure. All of our food vacuum sealers at Food Vacuum Sealers Australia have this ability.

If you get liquid into the seal area using any food vacuum sealer, the bag will probably not seal properly, and you risk damaging the food vacuum sealer. It is that simple really.

Please also watch our videos on food vacuum sealing tips.